If you are anything like me, you’ve probably spent years perfecting your skincare routine. Skincare is a wildly personalized and individualized thing, and everyone has their own routine for what works best for them. But sometimes, especially when you are first learning about different skincare products and routines, it can be difficult to know which products you really need and should be prioritizing. There are so many options on the market that it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. One such area is the question of eye cream vs. eye serum. Which one should you be using? And what’s the difference, anyways – don’t they do the same thing?
Despite their similar names, eye cream and eye serum are actually two very different products. And spoiler alert: since each product is targeted at a different aspect of skincare, you definitely should be using both of them. But what do they do? And why do you need both? Don’t worry – I’ve got you covered. Read on to learn about eye cream vs. eye serum and why you should be making both products a part of your beauty routine.
Eye Cream vs. Eye Serum: What’s the Difference?
In the past, you may have just used an eye cream or an eye serum as a part of your daily skincare routine, assuming that as long as you were caring for your skin, it didn’t matter which product you used. While it’s always better to use something rather than nothing, experts say that one product alone isn’t enough – you need both.
Eye cream is a heavier product, intended to help skin retain its moisture and hydrate around your eyes. It helps with softness and texture, reducing and preventing crepiness. Eye cream is great for reducing dullness and brightening the skin around your eyes.
Eye serum, on the other hand, is a lighter product. Eye serums do a better job of penetrating the skin than eye creams do, allowing for better anti-aging techniques. If you want to have firmer skin, reduce puffiness, and reduce wrinkles and dark circles, eye serum is the product that you’re looking for.
Whereas eye cream has the primary job of hydrating and moisturizing skin, eye serum primarily uses active ingredients to care for skin’s long-term health. Obviously, however, you need both – your skin needs moisturizing as well as anti-aging care. Clearly, both products need to be a part of your daily skincare arsenal in order to best care for your skin.
How Important is Eye Skincare?
Taking the time to properly care for the skin around your eyes is vitally important. The skin around your eyes is the thinnest and most fragile part of your face, which is why it’s the first place you will begin to see signs of aging. This delicate, sensitive skin has to be treated with the utmost care and concerns before it’s too late.
If you aren’t careful, the skin around your eyes can develop fine lines, crow’s feed, and dark circles. With proper treatment, these can be reduced or prevented, but that’s why it is so vitally important to make sure that you are proactively caring for your skin. Skin care is one of the best things that you can do for yourself – trust me, it’s worth the investment.
Additionally, don’t forget that there are other factors that go into the health of your skin besides the products that you use. Adequate sleep, hydration, and protecting skin from the sun all go a long way in ensuring that the skin in the eye area doesn’t age more quickly than it should.
What to Look for in an Eye Cream or Eye Serum
As you begin to shop for eye creams and eye serums, it can be difficult to know what to look for if you haven’t bought these products before. If you’re going to take the time to invest in a product, you want to know that it’s doing what it’s supposed to, after all – right? Obviously, different skin types will have different needs, so make sure that you’re selecting products that work best for you. There’s no one size fits all! That being said, here are some of my favorite tips for choosing eye creams and serums that will get the job done.
When shopping for products, I (along with dermatologists!) would suggest selecting products that use hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is an active ingredient that provides truly unreal levels of hydration and moisturizing. Additionally, it does a fantastic job of reducing wrinkles and those early fine lines you’re beginning to see develop. It is a lifesaver in the anti aging battle, and you want to make sure that it has its place in your beauty bag.
Another beauty tip comes straight from the lips of your mama – take your vitamins! Except this time, I’m not talking about Flintstone gummies or your go-to multivitamin tablet – I’m talking about ensuring that your skincare is filled with the vitamins that your skin needs – and deserves!
Think that you want to ACE your skincare – in other words, you want to look for products that feature Vitamin A (otherwise known as retinol!), Vitamin C, or Vitamin E. All three of these vitamins will work to help your skin look younger and less puffy, as well as reduce fine lines and wrinkles under and around your eyes.
It may take a bit of time to determine which vitamin is best for your skin, so don’t panic if you don’t see immediate results, or if a products irritates your skin. You may just need a gentler product, which is totally okay! Vitamin E tends to be the gentlest of the three, so if your skin can’t quite handle Vitamin A or Vitamin C, try choosing a product that focuses on Vitamin E. Vitamin E is also great because it can help lighten dark circles, which is always a win if you seem to constantly find yourself tired and sleep deprived – and if your skin is showing it.
Ready, Set, Apply!
At the end of the day, it’s probably worth a conversation with your dermatologist to determine which eye cream and eye serum will be best for your skin, and will do the best job of helping to preserve and protect the fragile skin around your eyes. Whether you have oily or dry skin, there are serums and creams out there that will do exactly what you need – you just need to give them that coveted spot in your skincare lineup.
And remember – your skin deserves to be cared for! It’s the largest organ in your body, and one of the biggest determining factors in the age you appear. Take the time and effort to care for it so that it will look great for years to come, and so you will feel confident in the skin you’re in. You deserve it!
